Not all the casinos that you see online are legit and trustworthy. Using affiliate companies to build imagery is being practiced in the online gaming and gambling industry.
A casino with a track record of 5 years or more seldom exhibits any signs of misconduct or fraudulent practices. Word of mouth can be a gamechanger for the casinos. If the word about the casino not paying its patrons spreads, then the chances of repeated business will go down gradually.
A few tricks under your sleeve can help you sail through the vast ocean of online gaming.
Table of Contents
The Licenses
An operating license is a must-have criterion for every casino. Based on the jurisdiction, there are different issuing authorities around the world. Nations like Canada, UK, Malta, Costa Rica, Cyprus, and Curacao have the most stringent policies with respect to casino licensing.
The Kahnawake tribe of Canada gives licenses to the US casinos.
The online gambling industry has seen a recent spike in its growth, but there are a few countries like France and the US that are against online gaming. Possible chances of money laundering, unclear business model, or fear of addiction – the reason may be anything.
However, the leisure and the fun of a game from the comfort of one’s house do prove a relaxing means to the users. It has triggered discussions among nations that currently do not allow online gaming. You can expect some leniency and change of stance pretty soon.
Though having a license will not ensure the legitimacy of a casino, it may safeguard your deposits under some jurisdiction. It is a crucial first step while participating in any online gaming site.
The Deposit
You may check the deposit options that you can opt for on the gaming site. The absence of an adequate number of deposit options can be a reason to worry.
The presence of certain known entities on the deposit page can be a step to bolster your confidence. For example, the use of PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, or Amex for deposits can be a worthy choice. PayPal is an entity of repute, and they do their due diligence before getting in bed with a business. Hence their business can instill confidence in you.
Things that you should be careful of are dubious prepaid voucher systems or only Bitcoin payment methods.
Deposit options often come with frills like no deposit bonus and free spins or XX percent deposit bonus. There are also benefits like welcome bonuses, reload bonuses, and a high multiplier for small deposits.
No deposit bonus and free spins can instill the confidence to play new and popular slots without added risks as they allow you to keep your winnings.
The Scandals
The information about a casino faltering on its promises gets around very fast. The word about a casino not paying their dues to players, changing the rules to ax the bonuses, or closing a profitable account, travels quickly.
You may check about the rogue sites on the various online watchdog sites that help players avoid such gaming platforms.
But, not all the casinos that you see on such sites are fake. Strict policies by such sites often flag casinos that have tweaked or had a minor change in their terms or conditions. Whatever the case may be, the word of fake online casinos spread fast.
How do you spot the genuine one of the lot?
You may opt for casinos that are operating for more than 5 years with no scandals, complaints, or payment issues linked to their names. The chances of these being rogue are less. However, there will always be a few who will rant about their conspiracy theories and how a site robbed him of his great winning streak.
The Testing Certification
To prove the fairness of the slots, some specialists audit the online casino companies and check the games millions of times. Their Testing Certificate helps you understand the returns or RTP% and also makes sure that the deals are completely random.
Popular auditors like iGaming Labs, Technical Systems Testing, and eCogra help recognize and certify the casinos. The presence of no testing certificate should raise concerns for you while scrolling through such sites.
The Web Forms
Some companies do not list the actual details of business ownership, contact information, and address. These firms often dub their identity behind a trail of fake sources. If you try to follow the displayed links, they take you to broken links or expired pages.
A website with adequate contact information can help you trace its legitimacy and build confidence.
Hence when playing online on any of the gaming portals, remember to check for their legitimacy. You may refer to the licenses and verify by cross-checking with the competent authority websites. When you deposit the funds, check for the firm’s credibility by looking at the associate financial partners.